UTV & Anurag Kashyap’s Udaan to compete at Cannes Film Festival

MUMBAI: Anurag Kashyap, Sanjay Singh and UTV Motion Pictures’ co-production, Udaan, has been selected for the Un Certain Regard category, at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.

Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, Udaan is not only the only Indian film to feature in this year’s Cannes selection list, but is also the first Indian film to feature in this category in almost 16 years.

Udaan is a coming of age film depicting a teenage boy’s return home, after being abandoned in a boarding school for eight years.

Kashyap said, "It is a moment of great pride that my first independent film as a producer has garnered this recognition. This film wouldn’t have been possible without support from Sanjay Singh, who is a builder by profession and came on board purely on the basis of script and trust. UTV has recently partnered with me on the film, as a co-producer and will also be distributing the film worldwide. We are confident that this selection at Cannes will go a long way in providing an international platform to the film."

Motwane added, "Being selected along with some of the greats of world cinema, is a huge honor for me and the entire crew who have worked on the film. It’s great to see our work recognized. I’m truly delighted and humbled."

UTV Motion Pictures CEO Siddharth Roy Kapur said, "The Cannes festival is one of the most acclaimed film festivals in the world and it is indisputably acknowledged as the artistic pinnacle for a film to be screened here. Receiving a platform in the Un Certain Regard category at Cannes is a rare honor. Anurag Kashyap, one of India’s most talented filmmakers has produced a film of rare brilliance and Vikramaditya Motwane, one of our brightest new directors, has achieved this rare feat with his very first film. We are honored to collaborate with them to give Udaan the platform it deserves globally."

Singh said, "I’m proud of the movie and team has delivered what they promised. We are representing India; it’s like music to my ear."